Friday, July 31, 2009

What could be more lovely than roses and huckleberries? These huckleberries are wild, handpicked on the lower slopes of beautiful Mt. Adams. I got them at our local health food store.

The only thing sweeter than wild huckleberries are wild huckleberries that you've picked yourself. We haven't picked huckleberries for a few summers now but it's so much fun to go off on a hike through the woods with a pail in hand.

I've washed them and have them sitting out on the kitchen counter to nibble on. They're so good for you, just as powerful as the blueberry with its rich antioxidants. It is my goal this summer to enjoy each fruit and vegetable that comes into season. It's something I crave all winter long and so I want to be sure to embrace it while it lasts.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Come with me into the garden for this week's installment of WHITE WEDNESDAY. I think I have said it before, gardening in Florida is a bit of a challenge especially if you have lived in another part of the US and know that there are peonies out there somewhere. But I digress... (sigh). So I try to give my garden the charm that I crave with crusty, rusty elements and fragments in my favorite WHITE...

Cute birdhouse from old pieces and parts. Notice something has taken up residence in the lower floor by chewing the opening. So much for the birdies...

Fab old rusty white wheelbarrow.

I love this white sunflower bird feeder.

One of my favorite hoe shields from my collection.

Iron garden chair that I found where? You guessed it~~in the trash!!! What is wrong with people?

A section of old concrete garden edging.

I never throw anything away until there is no other option. An old rocker that served us well now sits in the cutting garden...

Concrete bunny that guards my butterfly garden.

Architectural element on my garden cottage.

Old porch post and an old corbel on the garden cottage.

Old rusty, crusty vent cover.

White angelonia.

Fab old crusty painted trellis.

This piece would have protected the bottom panel of an old screen door. Now hangs on a section of old picket fence.

The house is still. It's another warm morning to what is supposed to be another hot summer day.

Windows are closed. Dog is quiet. Fans are blowing. It kind of feels like nap time.

Outside I have some sprinklers going. Watching the circular flight of water seems to cool me. Yesterday evening, still waiting for the heat to subside, I suggested to hubby that we spray each other down with the garden hose.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Thanks to everyone who commented and for all the lovely words you sent my way! I am very blessed to have so many people interested in my little blog. And now to Bobbie, my winner, if you will please send me your mailing info this box of treasures will be on it's way to you toot sweet!!

Monday, July 27, 2009

I love landscape oil paintings. It's what I'm always looking for when wandering through antique stores. I actually majored in Music and Art in college. I never did become an artist or a musician though. Instead, I began a career path in historic and environmental preservation, which to me is kind of the same thing. Like the arts, it's a passion for beauty in its most soulful, natural and creative forms.

I found this landscape painting a few weeks ago. It was exactly what I was looking for. Something lovely. I love those pink blue skies.

My little painting cost only $20. It comes without a frame and there are a few scratches here and there. But for me, the heart of whomever created this painting is very much still in tact. And that's what makes it so lovely.

Saturday, July 25, 2009

We are hoping to finish our picket fence this weekend. Building this picket fence has been more time consuming than we realized - likeeverything else. This is hubby cutting some spacers so that the pickets line up evenly.

Hubby is building us a beautiful fence ; ) Hopefully we'll have pictures by the end of the weekend!

Friday, July 24, 2009

One of my orchids is reblooming and it makes me very happy. After months of tender loving care, it is so rewarding to see one burst into blossoms. This happy occasion is in part thanks to the 'Orchid Lady' in town. She holds orchid workshops at our local nursery throughout the year.

I attended one of her workshops this past spring and learned a lot of the usual things such as the right light, frequent watering and the importance of fertilizer. But by far the best advice the Orchid Lady gave me was to talk to my orchids. She said that orchids are women and like all women, they thrive on conversation.

As you can imagine I was thrilled with this assignment as I was already in full blown conversation with dogs, horses, alpacas, birds and all non-biting insects. This would be for sure the easiest part of caring for my orchids.

And so began the conversations with our orchids. Our dog Lucy is no longer startled by salutations not directed towards her, nor is hubby the least bit surprised that I have yet to run out of anything to say. And so our orchids continue to blossom...

Baby SparrowJuly 19, 2009We continue to see below average temperatures with above average rainfall. On rainy days garden planning continues indoors where I'm working on the final design for the vegetable garden. I've been doing a bit of research on fruit trees, grapes and chickens all of which we hope to have incorporated into the garden by next spring. Over the next few months there will be a

Thursday, July 23, 2009

I clipped some lavender from one of our newly planted lavender plants last evening. I couldn't resist as the lavender smelled so much like summer.

I gathered it up with a ribbon and hung it from our bathtub faucet. We've been working day and night on our picket fence (by this weekend we should be done!) and a nice soothing bath is the perfect thing to look forward to at the end of the day.

I also love to put lavender sachets in our pillowcases. In aromatherapy, it's known to be a wonderful sleep aid, helping to provide a deep and restful sleep. It's also just a nice calming fragrance to go to sleep and wake up to.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

So it certainly took me awhile, but here I am at post #100! In keeping with tradition in blogland, I'd like to show my appreciation to everyone who stops by and leaves me lovely and inspirational comments by sending a lucky winner a package of goodies. So please leave a comment on this post to enter the giveaway, and tell all your readers to enter as well. I will draw the name of the lucky fabulista one week from today and then leave him/her a comment on their blog as well as announce the winner in a post here on my blog. So let's see what the winner will get...

A lovely creamy white dome-topped wooden box filled with treasure.

Open the box and look inside. An apothecary jar with lovely egg soaps from Gianna Rose, a teeny old whisk broom, a set of botanical note cards from Secret Leaves, a bar of luscious honey almond soap from French Soaps, and an old watch face to start...

Add an old clock face, and some fabulous hand-made gift tags in a French theme...

Add some old buttons on a card...

A better look at the egg soaps, buttons, tag, and a lovely charm from the one and only Cathy Penton. The charm has a birds nest in brown and cream on one side and says "wish" on the other...

The egg soaps, the whisk and the clock and watch faces...

The botanical note cards and honey almond soap. Great for dirty hands after gardening...

The Cathy Penton charm and the old clock face...

Fabulous hand-made gift tags...

Good luck to everyone~~I hope you are enticed to enter! Who knows, there may be a few surprises tucked in here and there as well...

Monday, July 20, 2009

This morning I clipped a few blossoms from my Little Lamb hydrangea. It's a beautiful hydrangea that grows happily in full sun. The variety comes from Belgium and was named 'Little Lamb' because the grower thought the flower petals looked like little "dancing lambs." How sweet is that?

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Every gardener has small garden tools but when it comes to small garden spaces and square foot gardening you really need handheld gardening tools. They outperform the forks and dessert spoons I've been known to use on occasion. Besides they make you feel more like the gardener you know you are!Trowel & CultivatorI actually have 3 hand held trowels with the most recently purchased one due to not

Saturday, July 18, 2009

If you have animals or children, live in an area that gets humid in summer, or do lots of home cooking, you're probably plagued by carpets that can smell less than fresh. The following recipe will help you deodorize your carpets and repel fleas and other insects.Herbal Carpet Deodorant Recipe1 Cup rosemary leaves2 Cups lavender (Buds and Leaves2 Cups Baking Soda6 bay leavesCrumble bay leaves,

Friday, July 17, 2009

Today I am reminded of the generous heart of women. I am reminded of the women I've known in my life, whether in passing or in friendship, and how their warmth and tenderness have seen me through some of life's most difficult times.

When I was in my twenties, I was struck by the capacity of women's nurturing hearts for the first time. These women, they held out their hands and cradled me until I had mended. Women that were much older than me, women I did not know well. They held me anyway, with such love and compassion, it changed my life forever.

Now in my thirties, I have been again reminded of the generous heart of women. Again, they've laid their hands on me. Shed tears for me. Laughed with me. Held me. Carried me when I could not carry myself. Loved me when they sometimes could not even love themselves.

The beauty of women is their unyielding capacity to give, to care, to reach out and hold you without hesitation, without ever having to ask.

My heart is full as I offer my love and gratitude to the beauty of women. They are young and old. Simple and complicated. Close and distant. Gracious and reticent. We are different, but we are all women.

Things are progressing nicely in the garden despite the below average temperatures. We've had a lot of rain and a couple of sporadic days of warmer weather which has helped. The tomatoes that were first planted are now setting fruit and are over the tops of their cages. Everything is looking quite healthy except for the Kentucky Wonder pole beans and brussel sprouts! Something has decided

Thursday, July 16, 2009

EarthwormJuly 13, 2009Worms whether it be earthworms or red wigglers are an excellent indicator of your soil condition. Ideally you will have both since earthworms burrow deeper turning and feeding the soil at the same time. If you are gardening in raised beds or tradition beds and don't see any worms when you are working the soil, you have a problem! If your soil cannot support a healthy

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

So this week we're going to "clean up our act" and head to the guest bath for WHITE WEDNESDAY. While this room is the size of a postage stamp, I haven't been deterred from having not one but three old medicine cabinets. I love the two with the mirrors all cloudy and ghosting. The other one had no glass or mirror, so we added some old ceiling tin. The small side table is one of my all-time fav pieces of furniture in my home. Love the detail on the legs. The old column has the best creamy paint. The 59A plaque on the door is an old house number I scored on ebay all the way from Australia. I put one on each door down the hallway. The mirror frame was found...get ready...IN THE TRASH!!! Who would throw an old frame with original creamy paint away? It takes all kinds... Hope you enjoyed today's installment.

Next post is number 100!!!! You know what that means.... A GIVEAWAY!!!!!! Stay tuned and tell your friends!